Kings of War News Round-Up

Kings of War Invasion is the first expansion book for Kings of War 4th Edition and is crammed with rich lore, stories, art and full army lists for the Xirkaali Empire, Trident Realm, Halflings, and Salamanders.

This is a single-print hardback copy of ‘Invasion’.

The Xirkaali Empire has arrived, and the world trembles.

As their forces surge across land and sea, the western powers face an enemy unlike any before. But in the chaos, old powers stir… and new opportunities rise.

Introducing the ancient Xirkaali Empire, this exciting new book includes full army lists for the Xirkaali Empire, Trident Realm, Halflings, and Salamanders, and is crammed with riveting lore, background and artwork from Pannithor.

The Xirkaali Empire has turned its attentions westward. They are coming.

Note: expansion books will be available in Limited Edition hardback format for their initial launch. Any future print runs will be made available in softback format.

The hemicyons in a regiment are all fighters and it is to such fighters that steel weapons and armour will be issued. The average hemicyon warrior towers over their human cohorts. Much of their fighting strength is composed of these warriors who go into battle armed with heavy razor-sharp swords, which their enormous strength allows them to wield with devastating effect.

An elite cadre among these warriors are the Spearwardens, hemicyons who’ve been chosen for their courage and discipline to serve as the vanguard. Issued heavier armour and equipped with long spears, they often act as the linchpin of the army. It is worthwhile to describe the weapons they carry, both head and shaft being fashioned entirely from steel they are of such a weight that a human would struggle to carry (much less employ) these spears. The hemicyons attach a spiritual significance to steel, so there may even be a religious aspect to the equipping of these Spearwardens.

The majority of surface dwellers who encounter the denizens of the Trident Realm are mostly familiar with the naiads, but these humanoid warriors are but a hint of the strangeness lurking in the depths of the ocean. When the Trident Realm goes to war, they do so alongside many great monsters of the seabed – such as Depth Horrors.

It is said that these powerful creatures may be found in regions such as the kingdom of Myrrhimm. Here, watchtowers line either side of an enormously deep trench, their bioluminescent beacons pulsating should any trespasser draw near. And of course, should any unwanted being venture into the kingdom itself, the hulking Depth Horrors will be waiting to strike without compassion from the inky darkness…

Placoderms are the toughest of the Neriticans, being large and strong, and plated in thick scales that are almost impervious to blades. They are a war-like species, who organise themselves into warrior guilds, protecting the Trident Realm from any threat. Even in times of peace, they organise patrols relentlessly, always drilled, so that when the call to arms comes, every placoderm is ready to answer it. Predatory and bloodthirsty, the placoderms view all lesser forms of life as theirs to hunt.

Where their naiad cousins are swift and graceful, placoderms are steadfast and hardy. They rarely have numbers on their side, and so tend to adopt solid formations in battle, armed with huge spears and razorswords, and fighting with such grim efficiency as to crush even the strongest foe.

The trolls of the Vieshlar Forests are often seen fighting alongside the Ej Halflings, swinging their clubs into any foes that come close as these small but courageous fighters unleash volleys of precision fire from troll-mounted wooden platforms. Their ranged guns have been designed and tuned by Ej’s famed Gunnery Sergeants, each one a keen inventor and marksman, eager to test their latest prototypes on the battlefield.

Along with the flying machines the Ej halflings have built, there are also the injured drakons they have nursed back to health or equipped with mechanical wings.

There are only a handful of these remarkably-repaired creatures in existence, who now roam the skies assisting the Ej airships in scouting and patrolling missions.

One of the Ej Halflings more unusual weapons are the Swamp Belchers. These are flightless drakons which have undergone a strange metamorphosis, due to their peculiar diet of swamp fungus. Their body chemistry has now changed such that a fire permanently smoulders in their bellies, and unlike other drakons they have become capable of volatile flame projection. It come as no surprise that the ingenious Halflings were quick to realise the potential military application of these strange creatures.

Halfling Sergeants are experienced fighters, often seen wielding two-handed hammers with a vicious striking face. Instrumental in the militarisation of an otherwise peaceful people – they have turned village greens into drill fields, deploying ever more brave troops to fight off those who would trespass into their fields with ill intent.

Like all armies, the halflings have some commanders, champions and individuals that play unique and crucial roles in keeping the army organised, outwitting the enemy, or just throwing in a lethal surprise.

Sergeants, Constables, Muster Captains and Generals form the main command structures when the halflings march to war. While the goal of halfling leaders is to defend and protect, avoiding conflict where possible, it is the duty of these same leaders to bring the full force of halfling savagery to the enemy if pushed too far. Once the army engages, keeping the halfling battle lines under control in the face of their anger and desire for relentless revenge can be a daunting and sometimes hopeless task.